George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award

"The annual Meany-Kirkland award, created in 1980 and named for the first two presidents of the AFL-CIO, recognizes outstanding examples of the international struggle for human rights through trade unions. Previous winners have included U Maung Maung of Burma, Nancy Riche of Canada, Wellington Chibebe of Zimbabwe, Ela Bhatt, the founder of India’s Self Employed Women’s Association, the Liberian rubber workers and Colombian activist Yessika Hoyos."

In August 2010 "the AFL-CIO honored the courageous men and women of the Egyptian workers’ movement with the prestigious George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award, the first time the U.S. union movement has honored a workers’ organization from the Middle East.

"The award was accepted by Kamal Abbas, general coordinator of the Center for Trade Union and Worker Services (CTUWS) and Kamal Abu Eita, president of the Independent General Union of Real Estate Tax Authority Workers (IGURETA), the first independent trade union in Egypt in more than 50 years." (Arlene Holt)


 * 2008 Yessika Hoyos with the 2008 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award
 * 2007 Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia received the 2007 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award
 * 2006 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to the International Federation of Journalists
 * 2005 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Sister Ela Bhatt
 * 2003 George Meany‑Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Brother Wellington Chibebe, Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
 * 2002 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Nancy Riche
 * 2001 George Meany - Lane Kirkland Human Rights award was awarded to U Maung Maung, founder of the Federation of Trade Unions in Burma
 * 2000 recipient of the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award is Luis Eduardo Garzon, President of the Colombian CUT,

"Past recipients of the Meany-Kirkland Award include Kim Dae Jong, current President of the Republic of Korea; Han Dong Fang, China's leading worker-dissident; Frank Kokori and Chief Milton Dabibi, labor leaders of the movement to restore democracy in Nigeria; and Branislav Canak, leader of Serbia's independent unions."